Peer Teaching Assignment 15% You will have the opportunity
to teach a lesson to a small group of your peers. Choose an area you
find interesting and/or valuable, within the "teaching for social
justice" theme assigned to your group. You will have 20 minutes to
teach about the subject you choose. Prepare a written plan that will
help you teach your lesson within the time limits. Use the format in
your reading packet or one you have selected from elsewhere. A
substitute teacher should be able to teach from your plan.

There are 15 points allocated for this assignment. The number of
points you receive will be connected to your written plan and your
evaluation of the effectiveness of the plan. So it's very important
that you prepare a plan designed to develop a clear and focused
"lesson." However, it is more important that you demonstrate what you
have learned from the planning, teaching, peer critique, and your own
reflections. Such demonstration will occur in your evaluation of how
well your lesson worked in relationship to the plan you created.
After teaching the lesson and receiving feedback from your peers you
will write an evaluation that will critique your plan and lesson
establishing what did or did not work, and why. What alternatives
might you try next time you plan and teach this or other lessons? How
did your plan help or hinder you in teaching your material?

Remember to:

1. Hand in a copy of the plan on the day you teach.

2. Have copies of the plan for each of your peers to look at
during feedback (one for each member of your group).

3. Take notes during feedback.

4. Write the critique of your plan and lesson that reflects your
self assessment based on peer feedback and your own observations and
hand it in.

Group Investigation Project : Teaching for Social Justice--Overview
20%

Learning how to investigate questions central to teaching and
learning is essential to becoming a reflective educator. This project
is based on a constructivist view of teacher learning, and is
designed to help you collaboratively (in a group) raise a question or
set of questions about methods of teaching for social justice, plan a
strategy to investigate these questions, and develop conclusions
based on evidence from your research.

You will explore materials provided in class, on strategies for
antibias teaching with respect to race, class, gender, ability and
ethnicity. Your group will frame and define a question and focus for
your investigation. You will conduct research in educational journals
and via the internet, as well as in the school, to investigate your
question. You will analyze what you are finding, formulate a series
of conjectures about an answer to your questions, and support these
with evidence you have been able to uncover. Often your questions
will lead to further questions or refinements in your thinking,
rather than definitive answers. You will turn in a group
investigation proposal, a rough draft of your group investigation
report, and a final report. You will also make an informal, poster
presentation in class based on your investigation, using some
presentation software (e.g. PowerPoint, Claris Slide show, Hyper
studio, Imagination). Specifics about each of these follow.

An important aspect of the project is the collaborative nature of
the research process, which allows an opportunity to explore your own
and others' thinking about the topic, to negotiate meaning, and to
share new understandings. As a teacher, you will need to develop your
ability to work in a collaborative way with teachers, parents,
administrators, community members, and most important, children. It
is the responsibility of the group to ensure that all members
participate. If problems arise, bring them forward openly to the
group, and take the risk of trying to resolve these within the group.
If problems arise that can not be handled by the group, I will meet
with the group to help process the situation. If individual members
need a sounding board to think through how to most appropriately
present a concern to their group, I am available to think this
through with you. I will strive to ensure that your learning in the
group is a mutually empowering experience.

Group Investigation Project Proposal

Your group will develop one written proposal in which you:

1. Identify a question or set of interrelated questions about
methods of teaching for social justice as a starting point of your
investigation. Your questions may shift as you investigate. Explain
why you are interested in pursuing this question, and how it relates
to methods of teaching/learning.

2. Outline a collection of items or evidence that you will use as
you pursue your investigation, drawing from videos, journals, web
sites, human resources, and research articles. Research articles may
be found from the lending library, and Penfield try conducting an
ERIC search to find information on your topic. You can receive
assistance by asking at the information desk. Develop a research
strategy that determines the way in which you will use these
artifacts to explore, probe, and collect evidence to address the
question (s) and support or refute your original conjectures).

Proposal should:

be word processed,

include names of group members,

be copied for each group member as well as methods instructor,
and

be the consensus of the team.

include specific research articles you will read, videos,
websites, and journals you will analyze, as well as individuals you
will interview or observe.

Group Investigation Written Report (First and Final drafts due)

After receiving feedback on your proposal, your group will conduct
the investigation and share in written form as well as presenting to
the methods section in a poster session supported by computer
technology. Your questions, as they evolve, should drive the
investigation. Your focus may shift as you proceed new meanings will
be constructed based on your examination of the materials,
connections you are making between what you see in practicum and what
you are reading, conversations in the group, etc. Document and tell
the story of these revisions in your thinking and focus. Be sure when
you develop conjectures/conclusions you support these with evidence
so others can understand your thinking process.

Write an analysis of what your group has learned in relation to
the questions investigated. Represent your inquiry in the report to
include what you did, what you found, an how you have interpreted the
evidence collected. What new questions arise? Develop your own format
for representing this journey. We are interested in your ability to
connect your conjectures and impressions with specific evidence from
your investigations, your ability to negotiate new meanings, and to
reflect on the implications for your own teaching and professional
learning. Include a bibliography of sources you used in your written
report. You will turn in a draft early on, and will revise and extend
based on feedback.

Poster Presentation to Methods Small Section

Your group will present your journey to the methods section using
presentation software of your choice, during a poster session. This
should not be lecture format be creative in sharing your insights
visually, applying what you have learned about teaching methods. All
members of the group should be involved in designing and explaining
the presentation. We will display the presentations around the room
in centers, and you will take turns rotating to each site to interact
informally. You will each take a turn presenting during one rotation.
One copy of each group's final report will be turned in.

Assessment

Your group will be assessed based on the depth and thoughtfulness
of the proposal, paper, and poster presentation. I will look at your
ability to raise researchable questions, develop appropriate
strategies for investigating these, depth in seeking a variety of
evidence to inform the questions, ability to analyze and synthesize
findings that do not go beyond the evidence, ability to suspend
judgment and revise one's thinking, and willingness to
collaboratively negotiate new meanings in the group. Feel free to
raise questions, touch base in person (ask me to sit in on your group
meeting), in office hours, or via email.

Questioning Observation 10%

PURPOSES: The intent of this assignment is for you to carefully
observe life in the classroom, particularly interactions between
teacher and students. You will record detailed field notes during a
lesson, focusing on teacher questions and student responses
(preferably one allocated to instruction).

PROCEDURES:

1) Select a time block in which you can observe children engaged
in learning activities by consulting with your cooperating
teacher.

2) Sit where you can hear and see teacher and students, and can
record notes.

3) Take a couple of minutes to record notes about the general
context grade level, students, seating arrangement, lesson topic,
etc.

4) Script, in as much detail, the events, language and behaviors
which occur as you observe relating to teacher questions and student
responses. Include actual quotes in quotation marks; you will also
need to paraphrase. Record as many teacher questions and student
responses as possible. Focus notes on your direct observations. Do
not attempt to judge or make inferences. (Data does not need to be
typed!)

5) After you leave practicum, write several paragraphs reflecting
on your observations about teacher questions and student responses.
Consider the following questions: What did you learn about teacher
questioning? What types of questions were most frequent? How were
teacher questions related to student responses? Who responded to
questions most (least) frequently? Did the teacher direct different
types of questions to different types of learners? What levels of
Bloom's taxonomy were included in the questioning? Why do you think
that they were included?

6) Compare the questioning observed in this context with
that observed in the videos of Ball and or Lampert. Compare the
questioning you have observed with what you have read about
questioning strategies. Include these comparisons, and conclusions
drawn, in your written reflections.

NOTE: DO NOT use complete names of students or teachers in your
field notes! Remember professionals guarantee confidentiality of
research subjects.

Instructional planning varies among teachers, but all will
agree that they must do short range and long range planning. Long
range planning includes what topics (themes) that one will teach
within each discipline (see NY State Standards) and how long each
will be taught. The innovative teacher will integrate more than one
discipline within these thematic units of instruction which generally
vary from one to four weeks. Within thematic units, teachers often
set up centers for self directed learning. These learning centers
provide opportunities for choice and independent and collaborative
study to achieve specific related objectives.

The objective of this assignment is to be able to develop an
integrated unit incorporating a related learning center (agreed upon
by your practicum partner and cooperating teacher). The learning
center must be set up in the classroom to allow student participation
in the activities during your practicum stay. You will also teach at
least five lessons from your unit during your practicum experience.
At least one of these lessons must infuse computer technology in
instruction. Your unit must infuse inclusive, antibias teaching
strategies throughout. Your unit and center will contain:

A. Overview/Rationale (Correspondence to state and local
standards)

B. Lesson Plans (include one computer technology infusion
lesson)

C. Culminating Activity

D. Assessment (means of evaluating student learning)

E. Reflective Self Evaluation for Each Lesson and Overall
Reflection on Unit

F. Learning Center Component

Learning Center Guidelines

Activities (including appropriate goals and objectives)

Record Keeping System

Reflective Self Evaluation of Center

You and your partner will collaboratively develop the
integrated unit and center. Additional information on each of these
comments will be shared in class.

Reflective Group Discussion List on Readings and Practicum 20%

You will participate in an electronic discussion list, reflecting
on the content of the course including a) readings, b) class
experiences and c) practicum experiences. You will post your entries
via email at least every other week. Feel free to also write me
individually regarding questions and concerns (beyerbac@oswego.edu).

Your entries should not merely summarize what you have read or
experienced, rather you should reflect deeply about a topic, identify
dilemmas or issues you are thinking about, conjectures and questions
you are investigating, and decisions you are making as you become a
teacher. You should seek to synthesize readings with class and
practicum experiences-- comparing and contrasting information across
contexts.

Your entries should provide evidence that you are reading,
observing carefully in your practicum setting, and reflecting on
these in a way that helps you construct your teaching practice.

Practicum assignments/ All are pass/fail graded

Organize all methods and practicum assignments in a portfolio
(usually in a tabulated binder) reflecting your development as a
teacher.

1. Child Study- in collaboration with your cooperating teacher,
choose a child who could benefit from intensive 1-1 interaction, and
study the child's learning through observation, analysis of student
work, conversations with the child, and daily work with this child.
Collaboratively formulate goals for this student, work to achieve
these, and assess progress towards them. Document this process in a
journal, including a 2-5 page reflection at the end of the
semester.

2. Plan/Teach/Reflect on at least five lessons. Include your
lesson plan, reflection, and peer feedback. Typically these are
lessons from your unit, but can be any lessons you teach in
practicum.

3. Other. Include other evidence in your portfolio supporting your
growth as a teacher such as cooperating teacher feedback, photographs
of students engaging in your unit and learning center, sample
selections of students' work from your lessons and your analysis of
it, a statement summarizing your development as a teacher this
semester.